Oregon woman donates crocheted caps to Clovis cancer program

A big fan of crocheting from Sea Side, Oregon is spreading cheer to Clovis area cancer patients.

Evelyn Rush, 73, began crocheting colorful caps after she got the pattern from a friend.

“I started making them and it sort of ballooned,” she said.

Rush said she enjoys sitting in the evening and crocheting. Soon, she had about 100 caps in several colors.

“I gave about 40-45 of them to the hospital here,” she said. “I had a friend who had breast cancer and gave her several for herself and whoever needed them.”

Rush talks to her sister, Portales resident Malinda Danforth, almost every day and she told her how she had so many caps and she didn’t know what to do with them all. Danforth is friends with Dorothy Nelson, the community relationship manager for the Great West Division of the American Cancer Society. Danforth knew Nelson could find a use for the caps.

The caps were then donated to the Clovis chapter of the “Look Good…Feel Better” program.

Clovis resident Lori Hicks, who works at Clovis Community College’s cosmetology program, is in charge of the program. She said the LGFB program offers free beauty supplies for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Services include wigs, hair and skin care.

Hicks said it’s important for cancer patients to feel good.

“I think attitude is everything. If you feel good, you’re able to fight better and you have to be able to fight,” she said.

Hicks was her mother’s caregiver while she was fighting cancer and she and the cosmetology program took over the LGFB program about four years ago.

Housing the LGFB program at the cosmetology department made sense because patients could come in, look at wigs, pick a crocheted hat or get their hair cut.

“We have everything at our disposal,” she said.

Hicks said some patients don’t want to wear wigs so they opt for a scarf or hat.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Rush said. “I love it. I’m just going to keep on doing it and send them wherever. I enjoy doing this for cancer patients. It makes me feel like I’m doing something for them. Some people do the walk and I’m not in a position to do that. I just want to do something to help people.”